752 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
September 17, 1904. 
flowers with large and heavy blooms, and to mix them without 
carefully observing whether the colours blended with each 
other and with their surroundings. Flowers with soft succulent 
stems should not be placed in the same vessel with those having 
hard stems, and the water, which should be frequently changed, 
could be improved by the addition of a small piece of charcoal 
in the vase. Mr. Cumming emphasised also the importance of 
securing suitable and appropriate foliage, and, taking the 
favourite flowers in order of their appearance during the year, 
explained the most effective way of treating them to secure good 
results. An interesting discussion followed, and Mr. Gumming 
was heartily thanked for his paper. 
* * * 
CROYDON AND DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL MUTUAL IMPROVE- ' 
ment Society.- —That popular and most useful flower, “ Nar¬ 
cissus,” formed the nucleus of a talk introduced by Mr. C. W. 
Greenwood, of “ The Gardener,” before the members of this 
society at their rooms, Sunflower Temperance Hotel, George 
Street, on Tuesday evening last, September 6th. Mr, Green¬ 
wood, in a concise and descriptive manner, treated his 
subject exhaustively, advising the necessary culture of this 
beautiful harbinger of spring, whereby our conservatory, garden, 
lawn, woodland, dell, and the sides of a stream may be em¬ 
bellished with attractiveness. He fully explained methods of 
culture, and gave excellent advice, which, if followed, would lead 
to success. A healthy discussion followed the paper, when 
many questions were asked the lecturer. On the Chairman s 
proposal, a unanimous hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr. 
Greenwood for his able and lucid lecture. Mr. A. Edwards, 
Ambleside Gardens, staged a good collection of Apples, receiving 
a vote of thanks 
Dissolution or Partnership. —Messrs. Stanley, Ashton, and 
Co 1 , announce that they liave dissolved partnership by mutual 
consent, Mr. F. W. Ashton retiring from the firm. Business 
will be carried on as heretofore by Mr. H. Stanley, in co-partner- 
sliip witli Mr. H. Hassail, and they will collect all debts due by 
and assets due to the old partnership. No change ini the title 
of the firm will be made until October 1st next, when it will 
trade under the style of Stanley and Co. It. is to be: noted that 
Mr. F. W. Ashton will render the new firm the benefits of his 
life-long experience in a. responsible position. 
* * * 
With reference to a paragraph which appeared in our issue of 
September 3rd relating to a large Peach, Mr. J. Pel lend, of New¬ 
ton Abbot, writes us that he gathered one Peach, Golden Eagle, 
lib. in weight, and scores over 12ozs. in weight from the same 
tree. Three years ago he gathered a Potato weighting lib. lfozs. 
in weight. The tree cavers: over 700 superficial feet, and is 
fifteen years old. He adds that in May he purchased one cut¬ 
ting of Eldorado. Potato'; from, that' he took sixty cuttings:, and 
tliis week took 41bs. of Potato® from the parent plant. 
* * * 
Auchterarder Gardeners. —Through the kindness of Mrs. 
Reid, of Auchterarder House, the gardeners of Auchterarder 
neighbourhood met on Thursday last, September 1st, on the lawn 
to see Major A. T. Reid’s motor lawn mower at work. The 
mower being one of Messrs. Ransomes, Sims, and Jefferies’ 
(Ipswich) is a. novelty in the district, and created an interest 
amongst gardeners. The company assembled at four p.m. on 
the lawn." The day being fine, the grass was in good order for 
mowing, the motor worked well, making a good job, gliding 
easily over the ground. Everyone present took a. turn with the 
mower. The great ease with which it can be held and guided is 
an advantage, and it can be worked in limited spaces, the small 
space required for turning being a great advance on any pony 
mower. The different parts were then given some attention and 
discussed., one of this party remarking that in his opinion the 
power could be utilised for other than grass cutting, such as, for 
instance, the driving of a small saw. This over, the new Rose 
garden and the winter garden were visited. The company was 
entertained to 1 a repast in the form of high tea by Mrs. Reid, 
■who graced them with her presence. Tea over, the kitchen 
gardens and fruit and plant houses were visited, the company 
leaving for their different homes at seven p.m., being highly 
pleased with what they had seen, and delighted with the recep¬ 
tion given them, at Auchterarder House. The following were pre¬ 
sent : Messrs. Matthews (gardeners to Lord Rollo and Dunning, 
Dunerub Park, Dunning), Lynch (gardener to Mrs. Haldane’ 
Auchterarder), Collins (gardener to Samuel Smith, Esq., M.P., 
Orchill, Blackford), Anderson (gardener to Mrs. Johnstone 
Browne, Kincardine Castle, Auchterarder), Methven (gardener 
to Mrs. McDonald, Collcarn Castle, Auchterarder), Nicholson 
(gardener to Greame A. Whitelaw, Esq., Strathallan Castle, 
Auchterarder), Miller (gardener to Mrs. Drummond Forbes, 
Millcarne, Auchterarder), Smith (gardener to W. L. Young, 
Esq., Belvedere, Auchterarder.— North. 
* * * 
Leaf-miner in Lilacs, etc. —On August 23rd, at the meeting 
of the R.H.S. Scientific Committee, Mr. Saunders said that 
the leaves of the common Lilac, exhibited by Mr. Holmes, are 
attacked by the caterpillars of the “ Lilac-moth ” (Gracillaria 
syringella). The caterpillars had, however, all left the leaves 
to pupate. The Willow leaves also shown by him were attacked 
by a small beetle, Pliratora vitellinae ; arid some other Willow 
leaves by the grubs of one of the saw-flies belonging to the genus 
Nematus. The leaves of the shoots of Black Currant, also sub¬ 
mitted to Mr. Saunders, are covered with small transparent 
blister-like pustules, the cause of which I cannot determine. 
On examining them under a microscope, I could find no trace 
of insects, mites, or fungi in them. There were a few acari 
and tlirips on the leaves, but they were not the authors of tlie 
pustules, nor of the injury to the leaves. I can only suggest 
that the pustules may be of bacterial origin. Cut off and burn 
all the shoots bearing leaves which are affected. 
* * * 
» 
Diseased Potentillas. —On August 23rd Mr. Saunders re¬ 
ported as follows on some specimens submitted to him by the 
R.H.S. Scientific Committee :—“The diseased blossoms of a 
Potentilla, exhibited by Mr. Bowles at the last meeting, were 
attacked by eelworms, and probably by the species which is 
the cause of the ‘ Cauliflower disease ’ in the cultivated Straw¬ 
berry (Aphenlenchus fragrariae), a disease that has been known 
to ruin nearly half the crop by rendering the flowers abortive. I 
am afraid that there is no real cure for this infestation, and 
that the best thing to do is to burn the affected plants and the 
soil round their roots. If the plant be a valuable one, it might 
be of use to cut away all the parts which show any sign of being 
infested, and to remove as much as possible of the soil round 
the roots. The following dressings have been found very use¬ 
ful in the case of Clover which was attacked by the ‘ stem eel- 
worm ’ (Tylenchus devastatrix): Three parts of sulphate of 
potash and one of sulphate of ammonia or sulphate of iron.” 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 
The Editor invites enquiries for reply in this column. These 
enquiries may cover any branch of gardening. Questions should be put 
as briefly as possible, and written on one side of the paper only; a 
separate sheet of paper should be used for each question. 
Readers are also invited to give their fellow gardeners the benefit 
of their experience by sending supplementary replies. 
Replies cannot be sent by post, even if a stamped, addressed 
envelope is enclosed, and the return of specimens cannot be undertaken. 
Anonymous communications are treated in the usual editorial manner. 
Address letters: The Editor, “The Gardening World,” 37 and 
38, Shoe Lane, London, E.C. 
Dead Aphides on Roses. 
Some hybrid Briers here were badly attacked with green fly 
for some time before we could have them syringed with insecti¬ 
cide. Many dead aphides may be seen sticking to the leaves. 
They are pale brown, swollen, with a small hole in the back as 
though hurst. Would this have been caused by soap-suds and 
tobacco water, or by tobacco powder, which we applied? (F. D.) 
The dead aphides which you mention as sticking to the leaves 
had been killed by natural causes, probably before you made auy 
attempt to clean the bushes. Small ichneumon flies frequently 
attack aphides, and, puncturing the soft skin of these insects, lay 
an egg in each. A small grub is soon hatched out, which lives in 
the aphis, thus ultimately causing its death and resembling the 
appearance which you mention. If they were sufficiently 
numerous to destroy all the aphides of a colony, it would save you 
some trouble, but usually only a certain percentage of the aphides 
are destroyed in this way. 
